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The future looks bright for award-winning chef Thibault Sombardier.
Last year, the owners of the Antoine restaurant on the Right Bank – where Mr Sombardier had won a Michelin star for his inventive seafood dishes – decided, under financial pressure from successive coronavirus lockdowns and restrictions on hospitality businesses, to sell the decade-old establishment, which everyone owned. gassed, from French politicians to tennis star Serena Williams.
But one April afternoon, Mr. Sombardier struck a remarkably positive note about current Parisian food culture and his latest project, a chic Left Bank bistro called Les Parisiens.
“People like to discover the newest places,” he said. “Paris is doing well. The crowds are out. I’m optimistic.”
“We are going to have a good year,” he said.
It is a sentiment that is often heard in Paris these days. Masks are no longer required (except in hospitals and retirement homes) and in restaurants, bars, museums, concert halls and public transport no proof of vaccination is required. (Updated information on coronavirus measures can be found at the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau website.) Busy among the weekend crowds in the Marais or Saint Germain-des-Près neighborhoods, you’d almost believe it was 2019 again.
New shopping temples and art à go-go
The most eagerly anticipated project in Paris is the rebirth of Samaritan, a classic Belle Epoque department store, located along the Seine. Owned by the global luxury group LVMH (whose CEO, Bernard Arnault, is France’s richest man), the 19th-century landmark closed in 2005 to address structural issues and ended up sitting idle for 16 years.
Unveiled in June last year, the new multi-building, multi-storey version is a cathedral of consumption, swathed in Art Nouveau and Art Deco details. If the idea of exploring the building’s more than a dozen restaurants, a 5-star hotel (white horse† doubles in May from about 1,450 euros, or about $1,500), a spa, perfume studio, VIP lounge and plenty of shops selling about 700 brands sounds too intimidating in itself, consider a 90 minute tour (15 euros) .
Not to be outdone, France’s second richest man, François Pinault, opened his own magisterial establishment in a historic icon last year. Housed in the century-old circular building that was once the Paris Stock Exchange, its new museum, known as the Trade Exchange-Pinault Collection (Euro 14 entry) was renovated by Japanese architect Tadao Ando and contains works from Mr. Pinault’s vast collections of contemporary art, including Sigmar Polke canvases, Dan Flavin lighting tubes, and Urs Fischer sculpture.
Fashion mogul Agnes B. chose a white, modern building in Paris’ mischievous 13th arrondissement to display her own extensive art collection, ranging from photographs by Man Ray to metro-style graffiti by Futura. Known as the fab (7 euros entrance), the space currently shows “L’Enfance dans La Collection Agnes B.” (until June 30), a look at childhood through paintings, drawings, photographs, sculptures and installations.
Old favourites, real and virtual
The two great museums of Paris, the Musée du Louvre (17 euros entry) and the Musee d’Orsay (14 euros) are very open.
Among the special exhibitions are “Yves Saint Laurent at the Louvre”, where some of the French fashion designer’s most exquisite creations (until September 19) are displayed in the former royal palace, and “Pharaoh of the Two Lands”, dedicated to the 8th-century Nubian Egyptian Empire of King Piankhy (until July 25). Across the Seine at the Musée d’Orsay, “Gaudì” (through July 17) offers a broad overview of the Spanish architect through artwork, furniture, and more.
And while Notre Dame Cathedral remains closed for reconstruction in the wake of a 2019 fire, a virtual reality recreation in the La Defense district offers an alternative opportunity to visit the iconic medieval Gothic structure. Known as “Eternal Notre Dame”, the 45-minute “tour” (from 20.99 euros per ticket) immerses visitors in fully digitized renderings of the cathedral from the Middle Ages to the present.
Haute cuisine and gourmet street food
On the dining front, perhaps the loftiest new experience is: the shadows restaurant atop the Musée du Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac, which combines the skills of France’s greatest name in architecture and the country’s most famous restorer. Designed by Jean Nouvel and now run by the Alain Ducasse team, the glass-roofed avant-garde dining room serves a 110 euro dinner menu of French classics (including white asparagus, foie gras and duck breast) amid the changing natural light and shadows which accentuates Nouvel’s design. But the main attraction is the view of the Eiffel Tower.
mr. Ducasse and other Parisian culinary stars have also been busy creating new places that aim to take street food, fast food and desserts to the next level. To put together an affordable Parisian meal, try the signature item (15 euros) at Yannick Alléno’s luxury grill (Father and Son Burger by Alléno) and a super loaded croque monsieur (8.50 euros) at one of the new ones Croq’Michel outlets of “Top Chef” judge Michel Sarran. For dessert, you can go to the Bastille district for sorbet and more (6.50 euros) from the first ice cream parlor of Mr. Ducasse (Alain Ducasse Ice Cream) and an oven-fresh choux (2 euros) of Tapestry pastry shop, the latest neighborhood offering from Septime chef Bertrand Grébaut.
Luxury accommodations and cinematic stays
Big things are happening in the world of accommodation too, and not just the massive new 32-story, 957-room room Pullman Montparnasse (doubles in June from about 280 euros) or the 10,700 square meter penthouse on top of the 76 rooms bulgarian Hotel Paris (1,700 euros) on the fashionable Avenue Georges V.
Hotel Paradise Owned by the MK2 cinema chain (from 170 euros), it was conceived with input from local creatives – including street performer JR, musician-director Woodkid and coffeehouse developer Marc Grossman. The property, near Place de la Nation, has 36 rooms equipped with video screens, high-tech projectors and a library of movies. Additional entertainment awaits at the rooftop bar and private karaoke room.
Petite Paris: Indie, Intimate and International
To find Paris’ smaller new gems, follow the scent of roasted vegetables and foreign culinary touches. In Bastille, you may find yourself at a candlelit table filled with African-influenced pescatarian delicacies, at Parsley† Chef Kumpi Lo’s menu may include Mikaté (Congolese fried dough balls of shredded cod with violet puree; 22 euros) and a luscious sweet potato gratin with truffle butter, cheddar and tofu (19 euros).
Or you could end up in the dark confines of Stereo wine bar, near Pigalle. While not strictly vegetarian, the menu will win over carnivores with meatless bits – roasted carrots with coconut curry (10 euros); grilled pumpkin with honey, tahini, hazelnuts and pomegranate seeds (10 euros) — prepared by Bengali chef Swaran Joshi.
And if you can’t afford a plane ticket around the world, book one of 31 colourful, ethnic-chic rooms at Babylon, whose lobby and restaurant in Belleville feels like a combination of a Rajasthan tented camp and a Moroccan tea room (night rates in June about 135 euros). After a meal of Middle Eastern hummus (6 euros), Aleppo terrine (lamb, dried apricots, herbs; 12 euros) and Croatian wine, you might reasonably ask: do I get frequent flier miles for this?
“The Tower of Babel brought together all the nationalities of the world,” said manager Johan Diony recently one afternoon. “This is what we’re trying to do here at the hotel.”
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